For Maria Goretti, food is stitched together from memory. From time spent with both sets of grandparents in Mumbai and Vasai — her paternal grandmother made orange marmalade, and her maternal grandmother, a farmer who left home each morning to sell fresh produce, and returned with a big fish for curry — cooking has always been a quiet presence.It comes from stories, tables shared with family and friends, dishes discovered on travels and loved enough. And then there is her training in French cuisine. In the second week of December, Goretti, author, chef, TV host and former VJ, returned to her Goa home for a break and, this week, hosted a Christmas feast for friends and family — her first in this 150-year-old Portuguese bungalow her actor-husband Arshad Warsi bought in 2019 in Saligao, North Goa.The six-bedroom villa is rich with colour and texture. A forest-themed wallpaper wraps the dining room, cobalt blue splashes across a corner, the starfish motifs almost guide one through the house. Each room has its own identity and name. Zen, named after her daughter, evokes calm and quiet; Black & White features dandelions painted in black and offers a striking view of the mountains; Forest is anchored by deep green tiles and twin beds. There is deliberate layering everywhere — upholstery, artefacts, pottery and knick-knacks collected by Goretti herself, alongside heirloom furniture. Her grandmother’s cupboard and her mother’s trousseau cupboard now live here, adding history and emotion. On the wall beside the bar is a large painting by Warsi, who also has a dedicated art room in the house. Maria Goretti in her kitchen. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)Back in her expansive kitchen lined with cabinets, utensils, dishes and serveware, Goretti moves with quiet ease. Garlic, onions and tomatoes are chopped, almost instinctively. Four tablespoons of ghee warm the pan, followed by garlic and onions, their aroma beginning to bloom. As the onions soften, tomatoes go in, and then a packet of bottle masala her cousins prepare every summer is opened, three tablespoons stirred in carefully. “Everything has to cook well, otherwise it hits the throat,” she says. A spice blend integral to East Indian households, bottle masala varies from family to family. “I refer to my mother’s recipe,” Goretti explains. It uses Byadagi and Kashmiri chillies, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin, sesame, poppy seeds, fennel, mustard, black cumin, cardamom and cinnamon. “When my cousins make it during the summer, they add a few more spices.”When the oil finally rises to the surface, chicken legs and thighs slip into the pan, followed by quartered potatoes and coconut milk. The lid comes down to trap the heat, the chicken is turned once after 15 minutes, and the flame switched off at 25 — she sets a timer. “Don’t exceed 25 minutes, or the chicken may turn hard,” she warns, adding, “It’s very easy. The bottle masala does the trick.”On the table later that afternoon, the revolving tray has the chicken cooked in bottle masala as the centrepiece. There is a thick, gently seasoned Sri Lankan dal Goretti picked up on her travels, a subtly flavoured dried sabzi of cluster beans with grated coconut, steamed rice and Goan poi.It is hard to imagine now, but Goretti didn’t really cook until her early 30s. “We were once living in a house where the kitchen cabinets were too high. I couldn’t even reach the second shelf,” she recalls with a laugh, sitting on her verandah anchored by light blue pillars. When she asked Warsi to change them, he replied, “But you don’t even cook.” “What if I do?”, she asked. “Then we’ll change it,” he said. When she finally did begin cooking, the kitchen was remodelled.Story continues below this ad Maria Goretti at her residence at Saligao in Goa. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)So how did it begin? “It started with khichdi and porridge when my son turned six months old,” she says. “I would call my mother for instructions.” When her daughter was born, she realised two things: She didn’t know how to cook, and she loved cooking. “I’m the kind of person who is either all in or all out.” In 2010, Goretti hosted a culinary show with chef Vicky Ratnani. Later she had another with Ratnani and chef Ritu Dalmia, where she met a contestant who had trained at Tante Marie Culinary Academy. Curious, Goretti began reading about the course and in 2011, moved to London for a three-month certificate programme. “It was intense,” she says. “I learnt everything, from soups and salads to starters, Indian and Mexican cuisine. On weekends, I attended workshops and cook-alongs.” There was no turning back. Then came a cookbook, awards and learning baking at Le Cordon Bleu. In 2018, she completed a patisserie diploma and earned her chef’s hat. Like any chef, she travels with her own knives, even to Goa.Later, we sit at the back of the living room, which opens out into a garden shaded by three large mango trees. A flash of blue, likely a kingfisher, darts past. “I take my afternoon naps here,” she says pointing to a wooden swing-bed, as a light breeze lifts her hair and warm light falls across her face. Is she enjoying the susegad life? “I am.” Goretti doesn’t plan too far. “My life has been a series of beautiful accidents,” she says. She has been asked to open a restaurant but she isn’t convinced. For now, she savours the joy of doing what she loves most — cooking, hosting, guiding hands in cook-alongs, and sharing it all, a reminder of her time in London.ALSO READ | Chef Maria Goretti shares her love for baking: ‘I used to watch my dad knead dough’ (Special recipe inside) Maria Goretti cooks chicken bottle masala. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)IngredientsGhee: 4 tablespoonGinger: 1 inch (finely chopped)Garlic: 15 pods (finely chopped)Chicken: 6 legs (with thighs)Onion; 4 (thinly sliced)Potato: 4 (chopped into quarters)Tomato: 4 (finely chopped)Bottle masala: 3 tablespoon (Byadagi chillies, Kashmiri chillies, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin, sesame, poppy seeds, fennel, mustard, black cumin, cardamom and cinnamon)Coconut milk: 200 mlSalt to tasteStory continues below this adMethodHeat ghee in a pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté well. Add the onions and cook until soft, pink and translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, bottle masala and salt, and cook until the mixture is well blended and the oil rises to the surface.Add the chicken, potatoes and coconut milk, mixing well to coat everything. Cook the chicken on one side for about 15 minutes, then turn and cook for another 10 minutes. Do not exceed 25 minutes, or the chicken may turn tough. Serve hot.